Written Answers

Tuesday 22 August 2000

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has powers to provide start-up support for international air services to other EU countries or countries outwith the EU.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive can consider applications for Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) towards start-up international air service projects. The Enterprise Network can also consider support towards, for example, marketing of an international air service. In addition, the Scottish Executive supports Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd which can offer discounted airport charges for new domestic and international air services. However, direct subsidy to an airline can only be paid after the imposition of a public service obligation on a lifeline air route in accordance with EC Regulation 2408/92.

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether international air links are beneficial to the Scottish economy; if so, in what way and whether it has any plans to promote such links by making representations to Her Majesty’s Government or airlines regarding new air links between Scotland and international destinations.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Airports and Air Services Study, jointly commissioned by the Scottish Executive and DETR, is part of a wider review of aviation policy for the next 30 years. The review is aimed at encouraging the growth of regional air transport to meet local demand for both domestic and international air travel where consistent with sustainable development principles.

  International air links can have a positive impact on Scottish economic growth, for example, by cutting costs for local businesses, stimulating foreign investment and promoting regional tourism. Decisions on developing new air links between Scotland and international destinations is a matter for the commercial judgment of airlines. Airport operators also have a role in assessing the potential for new services.

Charities

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide immediate funding to the charity Glasgow the Caring City.

Iain Gray: No. Our policy is that funding for local voluntary organisations is a matter for local agencies. It is open to this organisation to apply for funding from the National Lotteries Charities Board.

E.coli

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what priority it attaches to research into the causes of E.coli 0157 and the recent instances in Scotland and, in particular, north-east Scotland.

Susan Deacon: Research into E.coli 0157 remains a priority for the Executive. The Food Standards Agency, which was established in April, has an important role to play in minimising the risk of E.coli 0157 infection. That is why the Scottish arm of the agency has recently established an E.coli Task Force, along with the Scottish Executive. The task force will be responsible for developing a co-ordinated strategy for minimising the risk of infection and ensuring the public are aware of the best hygiene precautions to take.

  In addition, the Scottish Food Advisory Committee, which advises the agency, agreed at its first public meeting on 12 July that E.coli 0157 was one of its top priorities. Committee members will play a vital role in the E.coli Task force.

E.coli

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has made available in each of the last five financial years for research into E.coli 0157.

Susan Deacon: The table below lists the funding given by both the Health Department Chief Scientist Office and the Rural Affairs Department in the last five financial years.

  


Financial Year


CSO


SERAD



 

£


£




1995-96


NONE


NONE




1996-97


58,260


61,224




1997-98


48,914


351,801




1998-99


107,174


505,911




1999-2000


80,984


447,553

E.coli

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it held with local authorities following the E.coli 0157 outbreak at Macduff Primary School, Banffshire in 1999.

Susan Deacon: The Food Standards Agency confirmed that no discussions were held with local authorities since legal action was under consideration. A short life working group to consider food poisoning outbreaks, food incidents and product recalls in Scotland associated with the production, distribution and retailing of cheese by small scale cheesemakers was established.

E.coli

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it gave local authorities following the investigation into the E.coli 0157 outbreak at MacDuff Primary School, Banffshire in 1999.

Susan Deacon: The Executive produced a food safety leaflet for distribution to voluntary groups, churches, schools and nurseries. Copies were sent to all local authorities in December and January for local distribution.

E.coli

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the number of cases of E.coli 0157 in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Susan Deacon: The numbers of confirmed cases of E.coli 0157 reported by laboratories to the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health were:

  


1995


247




1996


506




1997


423




1998


216




1999


294

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the scope of any research it is currently funding on the development of systems of strategic environmental assessment.

Sarah Boyack: We have commissioned consultants to develop a trial set of indicators of sustainable development, which may be of importance in the application of strategic environmental assessment.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made to date in implementing its strategic environmental assessment policies.

Sarah Boyack: Strategic environmental assessment will be a valuable tool in the delivery of our Programme for Government commitment to delivery of sustainable development. The Ministerial Group on Sustainable Scotland has already taken significant steps to ensure that sustainable development is embedded in government and these will take effect over coming months. The EC Directive is now expected to be adopted by the end of the year. The clarity and uniformity which the EC Directive offers will be of considerable assistance in enabling organisations to make decisions about programmes for themselves. We believe it important to implement the Directive as it finally emerges rather than to act prematurely on an interim text.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for pilot programmes of strategic environmental assessment.

Sarah Boyack: Strategic environmental assessment will be a valuable tool in the delivery of our Programme for Government commitment to delivery of sustainable development. The Ministerial Group on Sustainable Scotland has already taken significant steps to ensure that sustainable development is embedded in government and these will take effect over coming months. Some of these may require us to proceed in pilot or trial mode: for example, the development of sustainable development indicators.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will define the scope of its proposals for strategic environmental assessment.

Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the reply given to question S1W-6204.

Environment

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instigate an investigation into the Baldovie incinerator in Dundee to ensure that emissions are not harmful to the citizens in the surrounding area.

Sarah Boyack: There is no need for an investigation into the Baldovie waste to energy plant. Scottish Ministers are satisfied that the new Baldovie incinerator can operate to meet SEPA’s requirements under existing and forthcoming legislation. In particular, it has been designed to meet the dioxin emission limit of 0.1 nanogrammes/m 3 proposed in the draft Waste Incineration Directive at present under consideration in the EU.

  In May, I was present at the signing of a good neighbour charter between Dundee Energy Recycling, Dundee City Council and representatives of the local community. The charter established a community liaison group which will meet quarterly. Technical reports on emissions, the reasons for any breach of emission limits and any measures taken as a result will be made available to the liaison group. The minute of these meetings will be made public and a comprehensive file on the plant will be held in local libraries.

Environment

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many coastal protection schemes have been submitted to The Scottish Office and to it in each of the last five years under the Coast Protection Act 1949.

Sarah Boyack: The number of coast protection schemes submitted by local authorities, to the Scottish Office and Executive, for approval by Ministers in each of the last five years is as follows:

  


Year


No of Schemes




1999


1




1998


2




1997


0




1996


3




1995


8

Environment

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address concerns expressed by Kilmartin House Trust and others that gravel extraction in Kilmartin area of Argyll is damaging a number of archaeological sites.

Rhona Brankin: The archaeological sites concerned were discovered during archaeological work undertaken in advance of quarrying, under a valid planning consent issued by Strathclyde Regional Council. The elements of the site that lay within Phases 1 and 2 of the quarry’s planning consent have either now been destroyed by quarrying or survive as excavated, and therefore archaeologically sterile, holes. There is little value in preserving the shell of these monuments.

  The archaeological conditions attaching to the planning consent are satisfactory and, according to the local authority’s archaeological advisors, the terms are being adhered to by the developer. It is long-standing government policy in Scotland that historic buildings are not listed and ancient monuments are not scheduled where there is a live planning consent.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the allocation of funding to the Scottish budget through the Barnett formula in each year for which figures are available, in cash and real terms, is the result of changes in spending in England and Wales specifically related to comparable expenditure in European Structural Funds.

Mr Jack McConnell: Scottish consequentials are calculated using comparabilities at a departmental level. How the UK Government Departments then allocate departmental totals within their departments is a matter for them.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what borrowing powers it, its departments and agencies have, specifying in each case the amount of money which may be borrowed, for what purposes money may be borrowed and what authority is required to enable such borrowing to take place.

Mr Jack McConnell: The borrowing powers that have been taken up by Scottish Executive Ministers and other public sector bodies for financial year 2000-01 are set out in section 4 and schedule 5 of the Budget (Scotland) Act 2000. Scottish Executive Ministers also have a borrowing power in section 66 of the Scotland Act 1998 (temporary borrowing power for cash flow reasons), and in addition powers to lend money to the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland in section 9 of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000.

Fisheries

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many salmon netting stations are currently in operation.

Mr John Home Robertson: I refer to the answer to question S1W-8696 which set out this information in detail.

Fisheries

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many fish and of what species have been taken by salmon netting stations in each of the last five years.

Mr John Home Robertson: The number of salmon and sea trout taken in nets is recorded in the annual Statistical Bulletin prepared by the Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Small quantities of flounders and plaice may also be caught as well as, less frequently, lumpsucker, grey mullet and mackerel. The numbers of these fish are not recorded.

Fisheries

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to phase out salmon netting stations.

Mr John Home Robertson: Salmon netting rights are private heritable titles. In recent years exploitation by nets has markedly decreased. For example, netting effort decreased by 83% between 1975 and 1999.

  The Scottish Executive has no plans to phase out these nets.

Fisheries

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the impact of drift netting on salmon stocks in Scottish waters.

Mr John Home Robertson: The use of drift nets was prohibited in Scotland in 1962. Drift nets continue to be used off the West Coast of Ireland and off the North East Coast of England. It is estimated that of fish caught by the latter, 80% would have been destined for Scottish rivers. It has also been estimated that 40% of all Tweed fish caught are taken in the NE Coast drift net fishery.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to establish a forum to co-ordinate the work of the NHSiS with that of major health charities.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive welcomed the establishment by the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) of a Voluntary Sector Health Network. The network, which was launched on 10 May, gives the voluntary sector a collective voice to represent its interests and concerns to the Scottish Parliament, statutory health bodies and wider community health interests.

Health

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to compensate patients who have suffered adverse effects of corticosteroids.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has no plans to compensate patients who have suffered adverse effects of corticosteroids. The position is that where people have been harmed by clinical treatment they have the right to establish whether there was negligence or defect in the manufacture of a product (either a medicine or medical device). Where negligence or a defective product can be shown to have caused harm, compensation may be paid. In the absence of negligence or a defective product there is no legal liability. Questions of compensation are resolved under the civil law.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the report of the Joint Investment Fund Working Party from last year.

Susan Deacon: The final report by the JIF Support Group was presented to health boards and Trusts at regional meetings in late 1999. It made a number of recommendations which are currently being considered as part of the Scottish Executive’s programme of work on the modernisation and improvement of the NHS in Scotland.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7161 by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2000, how many heart transplant patients at Glasgow Royal Infirmary have died while awaiting for post-operative appointments to be rescheduled.

Susan Deacon: None.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7161 by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2000, how many heart transplant patients at Glasgow Royal Infirmary have been advised on arrival at the hospital that their post-operative appointment has been re-arranged for another date.

Susan Deacon: None. Where it is necessary to reschedule an appointment, as much notice as possible is given.

Health

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the number of persons in Scotland who contracted polio in the 1950s.

Susan Deacon: The following table shows the number of confirmed cases notified:

  


 


Males


Females


Total




1950


596


516


1,112




1951


177


139


316




1952


Not recorded


217




1953


189


179


368




1954


Not recorded


421




1955


364


241


605




1956


181


97


278




1957


106


67


173




1958


249


197


446




1959


24


10


34




1950-59


 


3,970




  Source: Common Services Agency for the NHS.

Health

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the number of persons currently living in Scotland who contracted polio during the 1950s epidemic.

Susan Deacon: This information is not available.

Health Councils

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to change the role or composition of local health councils.

Susan Deacon: While there are no current plans to change the role or composition of local Health Councils, the Executive is committed to improving patient and public involvement in the NHS and is currently examining how effective involvement can best be ensured. In recognition of their key role the Executive has provided the Scottish Association of Health Councils with funding to employ two Development Officers to improve the focus of the work of local councils.

Junior Doctors

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to respond to the projected shortage of junior doctors in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: Many factors affect the number of junior doctors needed to provide effective healthcare. The current steps being taken to reduce junior doctors’ hours, while ensuring that service demands are met, have an impact on the required supply of doctors in training grades, both now and as the European Working Time Directive comes into effect.

  We are responding to the recommendations of the New Deal for Junior Doctors’ Implementation Support Group on junior doctors’ hours including its call for improved systems of the workforce planning. Through the Scottish Integrated Workforce Planning Group we are exploring the way we plan the healthcare workforce as a whole to make sure that the planning is more integrated and flexible. We keep under review the training delivered by the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education to make sure the substantial investment produces in training produces doctors with the skills and the flexibility we need.

  We are committed to increasing the number of doctors and recognise the pressure to reduce junior doctors’ hours and improve working conditions. That is why we established the Implementation Support Group, in partnership with junior doctors’ representatives, and why I have announced a package of additional investment in the workforce which includes provision for 50 new full-time posts for junior doctors and 50 flexible training posts.

Junior Doctors

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address the concerns of the Implementation Support Group, expressed in its report of February 2000, that the criteria set for junior doctors’ working conditions in 1991’s New Deal are still not being met.

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to reduce the working hours of junior hospital doctors to the levels laid down in the New Deal of 1991.

Susan Deacon: I share the concerns of the Implementation Support Group (ISG) which is why I have accepted 21 of the 27 recommendations contained within its report and have written to Trusts stating my expectation that they act promptly to implement these recommendations at a local level. The remaining six recommendations are the subject of ongoing discussion between the Scottish Executive, Trusts and the British Medical Association (BMA).

  My recent announcement of an additional 100 junior doctors further underpins this work, and targets resources in support of our drive to further reduce hours of work and improve patient care.

Land Ownership

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5993 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 May 2000, whether, prior to the launching of the Code of Good Practice on rural land ownership, it will consult with the Rural Affairs Committee.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. Before the Code of Good Practice on Rural Land Ownership is launched later this year, we intend to show a copy, in draft, to the Rural Affairs Committee.

Marine Life

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what change there has been in the seal population on the west coast of Scotland over the last 10 years.

Mr John Home Robertson: Estimates suggest that the west coast grey seal population increased by around 34% between the surveys undertaken in 1989 and 1998. The last two surveys of the west coast common seal population were carried out during 1988-1994 and 1996-97. In the intervening period, this population is estimated to have increased by around 19%.

Ministerial Costs

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was spent on fuel for ministerial cars in each year since 1997.

Mr Jack McConnell: The total expenditure on fuel for the Government Car Service (Scotland) (GCS) is shown in the table below:

  


1997-98


£16,417




1998-99


£24,033




1999-2000


£34,832




  The GCS provides or arranges car transport for the Scottish Ministers, Ministers of UK Government Departments when in Scotland, office-bearers of the Scottish Parliament, senior members of the judiciary, officials and visiting dignitaries.

  Since 1 August 2000, all GCS cars have been dual fuel which enables then to be run, whenever possible, on liquid petroleum gas (lpg) instead of unleaded petrol. Lpg is a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to unleaded petrol.

  Since 1997-98, the number of jobs carried out by the GCS has increased significantly which is reflected in the increased expenditure on fuel.

  When demand exceeds available GCS capacity, private hire cars and drivers are engaged from companies with which the GCS has standing arrangements. The cost of fuel is not separately identified within the cost of private hire cars.

Ministerial Costs

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was spent on fuel for ministerial cars in each month since July 1999.

Mr Jack McConnell: The monthly expenditure on fuel for the Government Car Service (Scotland) (GCS) since July 1999 is shown in the table below:

  


Month


Expenditure (£)




July 1999


3,575




August 1999


1,620




September 1999


4,730




October 1999


4,227




November 1999


2,927




December 1999


3,345




January 2000


2,391




February 2000


2,511




March 2000


3,251




April 2000


4,032




May 2000


2,353




June 2000


2,712




  The GCS provides or arranges car transport for the Scottish Ministers, Ministers of UK Government Departments when in Scotland, office-bearers of the Scottish Parliament, senior members of the judiciary, officials and visiting dignitaries.

  Since 1 August 2000, all GCS cars have been dual fuel which enables them to be run, whenever possible, on liquid petroleum gas (lpg) instead of unleaded petrol. Lpg is a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to unleaded petrol.

  When demand exceeds available GCS capacity, private hire cars and drivers are engaged from companies with which the GCS has standing arrangements. The cost of fuel is not separately identified within the cost of private hire cars.

NHS Funding

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3876 by Mr Jack McConnell on 22 February 2000, why it will not detail the contact it has had with Her Majesty’s Government about additional money for the NHS in Scotland and, if this is due to the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive information, whether it will specify which section of the code justifies the non-disclosure of these details.

Mr Jack McConnell: Discussions with HM Government take place at many levels, both ministerially and between officials, formally and informally and often cover a range of issues. Self-evidently any such contacts take place in confidence.

NHS Funding

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6716 by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000, what percentage of each health board’s budget for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 was used for the achievement of national projects and national priorities.

Susan Deacon: All of the resources available to health boards in 1998-99 and 1999-2000 were provided to them to enable them to meet the health care needs of their resident populations taking into account national priorities and, where appropriate, any national projects being undertaken locally. Specific areas of expenditure are shown in each health board’s annual accounts.

NHS Trusts

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards are in place to ensure that health Trusts consult local communities before introducing car parking charges at local hospitals.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is committed to ensuring that the views of local communities and individuals are sought as a matter of course as part of our aims to deliver a modern, patient-centred NHS.

  NHS Trusts are aware that they should take into account the views of patients, staff and the public about any proposals such as the introduction of car park charging before final decisions are taken.

NHS Trusts

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why a meeting was cancelled on 14 July 2000 between its task force leader, Professor Frank Clark, and hospital staff from Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust and Tayside Health Board, and what steps it will be take to ensure the prompt announcement of the budget recovery programme.

Susan Deacon: The task force did meet on 14 July with Trust and board management and a number of senior clinicians. A further six smaller meetings also took place after this first meeting, all of which involved members of hospital staff.

  The task force is currently working with Tayside Health Board and the two Tayside NHS Trusts to deliver an effective financial recovery plan. Details of the first phase of the plan were announced by the Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust on 31 July. Further work is in hand to complete the plan and the Trust will make an announcement as soon as possible.

New Deal

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8146 by Henry McLeish on 4 July 2000, whether it will detail the basis on which the costs associated with subsidised and unsubsidised jobs created by each New Deal programme are calculated.

Nicol Stephen: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations, as indicated in the answer to question S1W-8146 (answered on 4 July).

  Core Performance Measures for New Deal for Young People (18-24) are published, including Core Performance Measure C which shows the unit cost of the outcomes in Core Performance Measure A (i.e. the number of New Deal participants and the proportion of each cohort moving into unsubsidised/subsidised jobs and all jobs) for each local Unit of Delivery.

  No unit cost information has been published for New Deal 25+ for the Core Performance Measures. The New Deal for 50+, Lone Parents and partners of Unemployed People do not have an employer subsidy.

Public/Private Partnerships

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list every Private Finance Initiative or Public/Private Partnership contract that has involved or is involving public sector organisations in Scotland.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive publishes a list of all Private Finance Initiative projects on the Private Finance Unit page of its Internet website. It is issued to any interested party on demand and is also sent quarterly to subscribers to the Executive’s PFI Newsletter. A copy is also available in the Parliament’s Information Centre.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid in 1999-2000, and will be paid in 2000-01, to each of its all-purpose and premium unit contractors for trunk road management and, where appropriate, maintenance.

Sarah Boyack: The net expenditure for trunk road management and maintenance by Premium and All Purpose Units in 1999-2000 and the estimated net expenditure for 2000-01 is as follows:

  


Unit


Actual (£000)
1999-2000


Estimated (£000)
2000-01




Forth Premium Unit


14,412


15,000




Clyde Premium Unit


22,629


18,000




Tay Premium Unit


12,613


14,000




Northeast All Purpose 
Unit


7,141


8,000




Northwest All Purpose 
Unit


15,468


15,000




Central All Purpose 
Unit


5,742


8,000




Southeast All Purpose 
Unit


3,971


5,000




Southwest All Purpose 
Unit


10,742


12,000

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid in 1999-2000, and will be paid in 2000-01, to each local authority as council operation provider for work on trunk roads outwith the management and maintenance contracts.

Sarah Boyack: The net expenditure for trunk road management and maintenance paid to each local authority as Council Operations Provider in 1999-2000 is shown in the table below.

  The figures for 2000-01 are not available.

 Local Authority   1999–2000 (£000) Aberdeen City   492 Aberdeenshire   1,179 Argyll & Bute   2,115 Dumfries & Galloway   2,604 East Ayrshire   427 Highland   7,521 Inverclyde   412 Midlothian   523 Moray   742 North Ayrshire   1,066 Perth & Kinross   1,362 Renfrewshire   306 Scottish Borders   1,545 South Ayrshire   1,475 South Lanarkshire   270 Stirling   951

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will contract for any trunk road services with council operator providers after 2000-01 and, if so, for which services.

Sarah Boyack: The responsibility for the provision of the majority of services on the trunk road network after 2000-01 will be determined by the outcome of the competition currently underway for the new management and maintenance term contracts. Council providers are developing competitive bids for each of the new contracts. Irrespective of who wins each of the competitions, it may be expedient for the Scottish Executive to contract, either with or without further competition, with local authorities under existing Agency Agreements for the provision of trunk road services after 1 April 2001 not included in the new contracts where there are good operational and financial reasons to do so.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the operational and financial consequences for local authorities’ integrated operations and efficient local resource utilisation for trunk and non-trunk maintenance, in the event that contracts for trunk road maintenance and management from 2001 are awarded to contractors other than local authority consortia.

Sarah Boyack: Should local authorities not be successful in tendering for the new contracts, the impact on their other operations will depend on the arrangements they subsequently make. The Scottish Executive has not made an assessment of the many possible outcomes.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has, in tendering for trunk road management and maintenance, to ensure that local authorities are entitled to sell on any surplus existing plant, equipment, vehicles or depots, when the new contracts are let in 2001, in the event that any such contracts are won by contractors other than local authority consortia.

Sarah Boyack: The future ownership and deployment of these resources is entirely a matter for the local authorities.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many composite primary schools classes in each local authority area contain more than 25 pupils and, of these, how many have two qualified teachers.

Mr Sam Galbraith: In September 1999 there were 41 composite classes in Scotland with more than 25 pupils. Of these, 12 had two full-time teachers and 14 had additional support in the classroom. The other 15 classes all had either 26 or 27 pupils. Full details are shown in the attached table.

  


Composite Classes with over 25 pupils 
in Publicly Funded Schools




Local Authority Area 
  


Total No. of publicly 
funded composite classes (1)
1999


Number of publicly 
funded composite classes with 2 full-time teachers (2)


Number of publicly 
funded composite classes with 1 teacher and additional classroom 
staff (3)




Scotland


41


12


14




Aberdeen City


0


 


 




Aberdeenshire


2


 


 




Angus


3


 


2




Argyll & Bute


3


1


2




Clackmannanshire


1


 


1




Dumfries & Galloway


0


 


 




Dundee City


0


 


 




East Ayrshire


0


 


 




East Dunbartonshire


0


 


 




East Lothian


2


 


 




East Renfrewshire


0


 


 




Edinburgh, City of


3


1


1




Eilean Siar


1


 


1




Falkirk


1


 


1




Fife


7


3


2




Glasgow City


1


 


 




Highland


6


3


2




Inverclyde


0


 


 




Midlothian


0


 


 




Moray


1


1


 




North Ayrshire


0


 


 




North Lanarkshire


0


 


 




Orkney Islands


0


 


 




Perth & Kinross


0


 


 




Renfrewshire


0


 


 




Scottish Borders


6


1


1




Shetland Islands


0


 


 




South Ayrshire


0


 


 




South Lanarkshire


2


1


 




Stirling


1


 


1




West Dunbartonshire


1


1


 




West Lothian


0


 


 




  Notes:

  1. In the context of the School Census, part of the definition of a teacher is that they are qualified to teach.

  2. The first column (1) in the table contains 41 Education Authority classes.

  3. The second column (2) shows that out of the 41 composite primary classes in Scotland with more than 25 pupils, 12 have 2 full-time teachers.

  4. Out of the remaining 29 classes, the 14 identified in column (3) have some additional classroom staff.

  5. The balance of 15 classes that have no additional teaching staff all have either 26 or 27 pupils. P3 is the lowest stage present in any of the other 15 classes.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary one to three and (b) primary four to seven classes in each local authority area have more than one qualified teacher.

Mr Sam Galbraith: In September 1999 there were 151 primary one to three classes and 65 primary four to seven classes with more than one qualified teacher. Full details are shown in attached table.

  


All Classes in Publicly Funded Schools 
with more than one teacher




Local Authority Area


All Classes with P1 
to P3 pupils only


Composite classes 
with pupils from both P1 to P3 and P4 to P7


All Classes with P4 
to P7 pupils only




Scotland


151


9


65




Aberdeen City


2


 


0




Aberdeenshire


1


2


2




Angus


6


1


3




Argyll & Bute


4


3


4




Clackmannanshire


0


 


0




Dumfries & Galloway


3


 


0




Dundee City


7


 


2




East Ayrshire


5


 


1




East Dunbartonshire


5


 


0




East Lothian


0


 


0




East Renfrewshire


5


1


3




Edinburgh, City of


13


 


1




Eilean Siar


0


 


0




Falkirk


4


 


0




Fife


1


 


5




Glasgow City


33


1


15




Highland


5


 


2




Inverclyde


6


 


0




Midlothian


0


 


0




Moray


2


 


2




North Ayrshire


5


1


5




North Lanarkshire


4


 


4




Orkney Islands


0


 


0




Perth & Kinross


9


 


1




Renfrewshire


6


 


5




Scottish Borders


2


 


1




Shetland Islands


0


 


0




South Ayrshire


2


 


0




South Lanarkshire


4


 


5




Stirling


2


 


1




West Dunbartonshire


10


 


2




West Lothian


5


 


1

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary one to three and (b) primary four to seven classes in each local authority area contain more than 30 pupils.

Mr Sam Galbraith: In September 1999 there were (a) 607 primary one to three and (b) 1,543 primary four to seven classes in publicly funded schools with more than 30 pupils. The following table shows the breakdown by local authority areas.

  


Classes in Publicly Funded Schools 
with more than 30 pupils1




Local Authority Area


P1 to P3
1999 


P4 to P7
1999 




Scotland


607


1,543




Aberdeen City


16


61




Aberdeenshire


15


37




Angus


12


28




Argyll & Bute


3


24




Clackmannanshire


5


18




Dumfries & Galloway


7


27




Dundee City


20


61




East Ayrshire


15


35




East Dunbartonshire


25


66




East Lothian


9


24




East Renfrewshire


37


79




Edinburgh, City of


54


149




Eilean Siar


0


0




Falkirk


35


60




Fife


20


73




Glasgow City


104


181




Highland


4


34




Inverclyde


11


28




Midlothian


5


18




Moray


8


25




North Ayrshire


19


41




North Lanarkshire


15


82




Orkney Islands


0


0




Perth & Kinross


16


45




Renfrewshire


46


87




Scottish Borders


7


20




Shetland Islands


0


0




South Ayrshire


20


49




South Lanarkshire


19


84




Stirling


4


13




West Dunbartonshire


8


22




West Lothian


48


72




  Notes:

  1. Includes Local Authority and Grant Aided Schools.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary school classes of over 30 pupils in each local authority area have more than one full-time teacher.

Mr Sam Galbraith: In September 1999 there were 142 classes of over 30 pupils in publicly funded schools with more than one full-time teacher. The following table shows a breakdown by local authority area.

  


All Primary Classes with more than 
30 pupils and more than 1 full-time teacher




Local Authority Area


No. of classes


Education Authority


Grant-aided




Scotland


142


129


13




Aberdeen City


2


2


 




Aberdeenshire


2


2


 




Angus


5


5


 




Argyll & Bute


1


1


 




Clackmannanshire


0


 


 




Dumfries & Galloway


2


2


 




Dundee City


9


9


 




East Ayrshire


5


5


 




East Dunbartonshire


5


5


 




East Lothian


0


 


 




East Renfrewshire


7


7


 




Edinburgh, City of


9


9


 




Eilean Siar


0


 


 




Falkirk


4


4


 




Fife


3


3


 




Glasgow City


35


22


13




Highland


3


3


 




Inverclyde


5


5


 




Midlothian


0


 


 




Moray


4


4


 




North Ayrshire


5


5


 




North Lanarkshire


4


4


 




Orkney Islands


0


 


 




Perth & Kinross


7


7


 




Renfrewshire


8


8


 




Scottish Borders


3


3


 




Shetland Islands


0


 


 




South Ayrshire


1


1


 




South Lanarkshire


3


3


 




Stirling


2


2


 




West Dunbartonshire


6


6


 




West Lothian


2


2

Transport

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many heavy goods vehicles entered Scotland through the ports of Stranraer and Cairnryan in each of the last five years.

Sarah Boyack: The latest information available is shown below.

  

 

Inward traffic at 
Stranraer
(thousands of vehicles) 


Inward traffic at 
Cairnryan
(thousands of vehicles) 




Road goods
Vehicles 


Unaccompanied trailers 


Total 


Road goods vehicles 


Unaccompanied trailers 


Total 




1994 


41 


23 


64 


33 


20 


54 




1995 


42 


24 


66 


37 


22 


59 




1996 


32 


21 


53 


46 


23 


69 




1997 


42 


24 


66 


43 


26 


70 




1998 


44 


23 


67 


48 


39 


87 




  These figures cover:

  (a) road goods vehicles, not all of which are classified as heavy goods vehicles; and

  (b) trailers that were unaccompanied on the ferry crossing (these are attached to a cab at the dockside and are therefore classified as goods vehicles leaving the port).

  The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand, so totals may differ slightly from the sum of their components.

Water Charges

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the increases in domestic water charges have resulted in an increase in demand for water meter installations.

Sarah Boyack: The number of water meters installed in domestic properties throughout Scotland at the customer’s request since the introduction of new charge levels on 1 April 2000 has been 44. The total number of households served by the three water authorities is 2.3 million.